Leon Edwards is lower than two weeks away from his subsequent huge title protection.
Headlining the promotion’s return to Manchester on Saturday, July 27, ‘Rocky’ will put his welterweight title on the line in a long-awaited conflict with the division’s top-ranked contender Belal Muhammad.
Kamaru Usman, the person Edwards took the title off of with the “kick heard around the world” at UFC 278, supplied his evaluation of the UFC 304 headliner, suggesting that it’s a troublesome one to name contemplating each males have been on the shelf for a while.
Nonetheless, he does consider {that a} win for ‘Rocky’ will assist push his former foe’s title up the coveted P4P rankings.
“I like Leon being a champion, I feel he undoubtedly has actual expertise however as a fan now, I’m annoyed as a fan as a result of this combat ought to have occurred already,” Usman stated.
“It’s been such a very long time however I’m glad that we have been lastly about to get the combat and for Leon to really go in there and show to individuals that he’s excessive up on that pound-for-pound checklist as a result of you understand, I acquired my reservations on the order of that checklist” (h/t Bloody Elbow).
Leon Edwards’ is commonly touted as probably the greatest fighters on the planet courtesy of his technical prowess that has dismantled among the largest names within the recreation. Sadly, ‘Rocky’ hasn’t precisely lit up the Octagon along with his performances. Particularly, his trilogy combat with the ‘Nigerian Nightmare’ at UFC 286 and his uneventful showdown with Colby Covington final December.
Usman hopes to see the “killer” in Leon Edwards come out towards Belal Muhammad when the champ competes in entrance of his residence nation at Co-op Reside within the UK.
“I feel it’s combat, I just like the assured approach in that Leon is carrying [himself], I feel he understands the duty of being a champion, the way you form of have to coach the mentality that it’s important to have,” Usman added. “Just a bit factor that I want to see from him is that killer come out as a result of if you understand that you just’re the highest canine, you bought to show it to each contender who desires your spot.”
Kamaru Usman isn’t a fan of leon edwards and Belal Muhammad ready so lengthy to combat
Whereas neither Leon Edwards nor Belal Muhammad has fought in 2024, ‘Keep in mind The Identify’ can be returning after an particularly lengthy layoff, having final fought at UFC 288 all the way in which again in Could 2023. On that night time, Muhammad scored a giant win over Gilbert Burns, extending his unbeaten streak to 9 straight.
With the UFC selecting at hand Covington one other unearned title alternative in December, Muhammad opted to take a seat out as an alternative of placing his spot on the road towards one other top-10 contender. Some would possibly think about {that a} good move, however Usman believes there are advantages to staying energetic within the combat recreation.
“The one factor that I don’t like about that is the layoff, the time that these guys are sitting [out],” Usman stated. “Because of this boxers are combating each different month, they’re combating [often] as a result of that’s the way you get into your groove, that’s the way you elevate your self to see if all of the stuff that you just’ve been engaged on can really work.
“When you’ve gotten these lengthy layoffs and also you get in there, your timing is a bit of bit off, you’re a bit of gun-shy typically, and particularly in the event you’re a champion when you’ve gotten this lengthy layoff – that mountain of defending begins to get heavier, and heavier, and heavier.”
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